Marine torpedo



2. t. e e h s n. e e h s 2. .RM EE BD.. MR o AT HE num .R IA Wam (NoModell) No. 327,380; Patented Sept. Z9, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARINE oRPs-oo.

, l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Np. 327.380. datedSeptember 29. 1885.

Y Application insa Januar; sus, Issa. No modell) To a/Zlwhom it mayconcern: I

Be it known that 1,WAsHINGToN IEVING CHAMBERS, an ensigu in the' UnitedStat'es navy, residing at Kingston, in the 'county of Ulster and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Torpedoes, of which the following', in connection with theaccompanying drawings, y y'herein referred to, and forming 'aparthereof, io is a full and complete specification.

My invention relates to that class of torpedoes commonlyknown asrockettorpedoes; and has forits object, irst, to produceaprojectile or-il'oatz which shall carry the torpedo x 5 or magazine housed within ittothe objective point to be there released and dropped `asuiicientdistaneebelowthesurface ofthewaterand v -then exploded; second,to provide means for propelling this projectile or float upon or near2o-the surface of the water aerreeeiving its initial impulse; third, toprovide means for steering or guiding the projectile; `and, fourth, toprovide u .rocket projectile which shall be simple in construction,capable of being taken apart for convenience andsafetyin transportation,cheap, and` e'ective in operation.

These'objects I attain by the construction,

arrangement, and `combination of parts, as hereinafter described. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view ot the projectileor rocket arranged to be fired from a gun situated either above orbelowthe surface of tbelwater. Fig.l

2 is avertical longitudinal section on the line :A A of Figs. 1 and 6.Fig.3 is averticallongtudinal sect-ion' through the axis oftheprojectile. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are crosssee ti ons on the lines B BB B BW, respectively. Fig. 9 represents in. planand sideviewa slid- 4oing bar to be arranged in the upper side of the projectile to form whatI shall herein denominate the tail.; Fig. 10 is an elevation of thesabot audits stem. Fig. 11 is a side view of a series of tubes whichcontain rocket composition, arranged# around a central unfilled l tube4which, when all parts are assembled, receives the stem of the sabot.Figs. 12, 13,

and H14 represent modifications, `which will be hereinafter described;and Fig. 15 is asec- 5o tional detail showing the construction of thetubes containing'th'e rocket composition.

In carrying out my invention I take a cylindricalbody of wood, cork, orother buoy ant material, b, of suitable diameter, to loosely iit thebore of the gun from which it is to be fired, and of a'length of, say,from jteen to twenty diameters. v'This body of wood' is pointed at bothends, as shown in Fig. 3, and is bored out centrally from the rearnearly its entire length,as shown in' Figs. 3 to 8, to receive theseries of tubes shown in Fig. 11. It

side, near or slightly in front of its longitudinal center, which recessextends into the central bore, andthe purpose of which is'to receive themagazines, charged with dynamite, gun-cotton, gum gelatine, or othersuitable high explosive. The pointed ends of the body b are covered andprotected by shells or ,cases b' b" l-of cast-iron, bronze, or suitablealloy, and the cylindrical portion is cgvered with thin sheetmetal-such, for instance, as common sheet-iron-the ends lapping overthose of the end casngs, as shown in Fig. 3.

l In order that the tail, hereinafter described, shallbe enabledl toguide the projectileas desired, the ycenter of gravitysheuld fall belowthe longitudinal axis. yThis is accomplished by placing the magazine inthe lower recess beforementioned.

Heretofore it has been lIcustomary in 'constructing rocket-torpedoes topack the rocket composition .in one mass within the body of theprojectileand to ignite at and burn from the rear. According-tcmyinvention Iseparate it into several masses-. six being shown in thedrawings-by pecking it inte separate tubes, d, which are arrangedlongitudinally around a central tube, d', as shown in Figs. '1 to 8,which .central tube snbserves a purpose tobe hereinafterexplained. Thetubes d d screwed together, formingcontinuous tubes,

any suitable number-three being shown in Fig. ll-and their front endsare securedwithin a head, m', all opening intoa'chamber, m", withinsaidhead. The head m' is provided with a point or projection, l, whichprojects through the point of the casing b, and which I denominate theexcept the larger central tube, maybe filled with rocket composition; orone or more of them may `be left vacant to serve as an ar-4 are eachcomposed ofy'severa-l shortdengths andarebound together by ,rings orbands in is also provided with a recess inits lower rec trigger. All thetubes.

space or fair-cushion for regulating the even dischargeof gases, as'hereinafter described.

The tail of the projectile,which guides and steadies the latter in itsilight,is illustrated in i5 enlarged head and a narrowing channel, the

-bar lmay be provided with a slot of sufficient lengt-h, 'corresponding'with the longitudinal movement which 'it is desirable `to allow it, and1a pin -or bolt Abe passed partly through it zo into'the body b. e ITo-the under side,atthe vrearend of this'bar, is attached a tin orblade, -which serves as a rudder or guide to direct the movement of theprojectile in water, and this ii or 'blade -1 ineke adjustable onthe-bar,so that it may be -set'at an angle in order to provide againstthe deilecting -force-of currents or tides.

The sabot j, which is aixed to the rearend of Ithe projectile, is madeto snugly -it the bore be made expansible, to' provide, as is-nsual,against the escapeof gases 3o ofthe-gun, and may from the iringcharge.lIts rear face is preferably -concaved, as 'shown in Fig. 3; it taperstoward the front, and its front face is -or chambered to iit over therear end of the casing b". A'metal projection, j', externallyscrew-threaded, -is either cast or screwed into a central opening in thesabot, its 'front end extending through `the -chamber in the front4o1face, and upon this projecting end is screwed atube, which-maybecalled the stem of the si ibot. Thisstein, when the parts are inposition foriiring, lies within the tube d' which it should snugly fit.The sabot j is provided 45 Awith s projecting pin or`hook, k, whichengages in an opening in the rear end of the bar I h, to connect-the twotogether. The in l ine' c maybe made of any suitable metal, an of -ashape to tit snugly into the l5a opening in the bottom of. theprojectile. It is provided with flanges or loops to ,engage hooks f f ontwo of the bands m m, which surroundthe series of tubes d d', the baudscarrying said 'hooks being so disposed that the latter project into themagazine loops or .flanges and hold it in place. A The series of tubesis capable of -rearward *movement within the body of the projectile, andthis movement is eected when the point 6oor-triggerlstrikesanobject,whereby the hooks ff are -disen d fromthemagazine and the latter is allowed to drop out of its chamber beforeexploding, so as to be exploded ata distance below the surface of thewater, which distance is regulated by the length of the connecting-barsby which it is hung to`the.body

'- ofthe project-ile.l These connectingbars are sanno jointedspring-bars, joinedto the body b and to =the magazine e, and arrangedto`fo1d'together, as shown in Fig. 2, where arepresents one of the bars,which .iahinged to the body .b at a", land a represents theotlier bar,which is hinged to the torpedo at a" and to the rst bar at a'. Thevhinge or ljoint a'" has a bearing in the top of the magazine-chamber,and both bars are bent or sprung over abearing, e", on the top of themagazine. Thus, when the magazine is released rom theliooks f f by thebackward Amovement of the tubes d d",the spring-bars force it ont of,itschamber, and, after it has dropped, support it until the explosion takesplace. v

The magazine. is provided at its re'ar end 'with a time-fuse, e', whichis ignited through a channel, n, in the bottom of the central bore '-bythe gases of the iring-charge, the gases entering said channel through asmall opening, o, in 'the sabotj. A A

In additionto the time-fuse a percussionfnse may be'arranged inthe-front-end of th'e magazine, as shown at e", to be fired-by strilbing against the side of a vessel or other fob- 'jective point` when themagazine drops and swings forward.

The operation of'the devices thus far described is as follows: The partsbeing -ad- 'justed as shown in'Fig. 3, the projectile 'is placed 'in agun to thecaliber of which it i3 adapted. The gases generated bytheburning .of the ring-charge. at the same time that they drive theprojectile from the gun,'enter the openings o and p in the sabot j andignite the 'time-fuse e' and the rocket coiposition'con- Atainedin thetubes d, through the pes n and d, respectively. -Tlie gases from therocket composition pass into the tube d' through the chamber m". Thebackward press'- ure of these'gases forcesthe tube or stem g, and thesabot to which it is attached, backward until the stein is entirelyforced from =the tube d'. This backward movement of the sabot and stemalso draws back the bar h, by reason of the connection k. As soon as thestem gis entirely .withdrawn fromtlie tube d' itis free to disconnectitself from the bar or tail 1|, leaving thelatter projecting from therear end of the projectile to steady and guide the .latter in itsflight., as above stated. As soon as the stein g leaves the tube d' thegases from'the rocket composition are free to escape there fromand act,against the water, as in other projectiles of this class. l Igniting andburning the rocket composition thus from the front end of a number oftubes, each made up of several short lengths of tubing screwed together,and discharging the gases through a long tube or passage ex tending tothe rear end of the body of the projectile, I regard as an importantfeature,'as it aords a body of gas" under pressure which, as thuscontrolled, compensates for any uneven- 'ness or irregularity in theburning oftherocket composition, and produces a more even action of thegases against the-water. In packing ico ros

llllO iig y izo as the last lengths burn out.

azmaao even short lengths of tubes with rocket composition it will bedifficult to secure entire uni- -forxmtyor' regularity of densitythroughout their length; but when packed. under the same conditions andwith the same pressures the density of the packed composition will bemore or le uniform at correspouding'points inthe length of the severaltubes. I so arrange the short lengths as to break joints, as shown' in-Figs. 11 and 15, and -by this means, `together with the air-cushionbefore mentioned, arising'from burning the coinposition at.. the `frontend, I secure comparative uniformity by burning from several tubes atthe same time. These short lengths may be packed to diiierent degrees ofdensity or with different kinds of composition, so as to give theintensity of the burning composition from front to rear in the tubes aprogressive action, ending in explosion of the tubes, if desirable,Dividing the several tubes into short lengths also faci1itates packingthe composition and transporting br storing. the tubes, as it enablesthem to be easily handled andstowed away.

Fig. 12 shows the rocket aiter'it has struck the-object aimed at andbefore the explosion has taken place, `the magazine and tail beingdisposed in the body, as above set Aforth, and released and red bythemeans described.

' Fig. 13 shows a rocket in the same position,

. provided with `two tails-one at each side-the( magazine beingdisposedas before and con'-` nected to the body by a spring-bar' hingednear the front 'end of the body.

Fig. 14 shows a rocket providedwith a short tail and a length of ropeattached thereto, which trails behind after having been pulled out, asin the other cases. It also shows the magazine attached to the rear endof the projectile' by a hinged spring-bar on which it may slide, itsdownward movement being limited by a chain or cord,which also operateseither a friction or percussion fuse.'

Ido not claim herein the method of packing and forming therocket-composition chamber; but

I claim for my invention- I. In a rocket-torpedo, the combination of abody, b, provided with alongitudinal channel ator near itsaxisnopen atthe rearendo f the projectile, an opening or chamber in its lower partconnected therewith, a magazine to contain an explosive .charge arrangedin said opening and provided witha time-fuse,

- and means foriholding and releasing said magazine,

as and for the purpose described.

2. .A rocket-torpedo constructed substantiallyas described :andhaving adetachable magazine arranged in a chamber at or near its. longitudinalcenter, with a preponderance of weight, caused by this arrangement ofthe magazine, at` one side of the arial center of .the torpedo, wherebysaid magazine is made to serve as ballast to prevent rotation during 3.In a rocket-torpedo, thecombinatiou of a body, b, provided with achamber or recess to receive the magazine, amagazine arranged in saidchamber, means fo; holding end releas- 7o ing the magazine, and a springor springs to force the magazine out of its chamber when released,substantially asdescribed. Y

4. In arocket-torpedo, the combination'of a body, b, provided with achamber or recess to receive the magazine, a magazine arranged in saidrecess or chamber, means for holding -and releasing the magazine, andtwo or more spring-bars jointed to the magazine and to the. body andarranged between the' magazine and thebody, whereby the magazine, whenreleased, is forced from its chamber and supported in firing position,as described. f

5. In a rockettorpedo, the combination of a series of .tubes, asd,for\contain1ng the rocket composition, arranged in the'longitufdinalaxis Vof the projectileand closed at their rear ends, and annnpackedtube, d', open at .both ends, said tubes d and d' opening into ago common chamberl at their front ends, whereby the r rocket compositionis adapted to burned from the "front and the gases dischargedat therear, as described.

6. In.a`rocket-torpedo,'the combination of' 95 a series of tubes, as d,for containing the rocket composition, an unpacked tube, d, open at bothends, said tubes d and d opening 'into a common chamber at `their'frontends,

and a sabot, j, arranged upon the rear end ofthe projectile and having astem which projects into the tube d', as and for the purpose tdescribed.

7. In a rocket-torpedo, the combination of a series of tubes, d, packedwith rocket composition, an unpacked tube,'d, open at both ends, saidtubes d and d opening into a common chamber 'at their front ends, a.'sabot, j, an ranged on the rear end of the projectile and having Yahollow Astem whichprojects into the tube d', and an opening, p, -i'ntothe hollow stem, all as and for the purposes s et forth.

8. In a rocket-torpedo, the'combination of one or more sliding barsarranged in longitudinal channels in the body of the projectile and'provided with a stop or shoulder to limit the Abackward'movemenba tube,d, in the longitudinal axis of the projectilethrough which the gasesfromthe rocket composition are discharged, a sabot arrangedon the rearend of the projectile and provided with a stem which projects into thetube d', anda separable connection between the sliding bar or bars andthe sabot, as and for the purpose described.

'wAsnlNcroN Irvine cuA'uBuRs.

Witnesses:

Guo. M. Looxwoon', WM. H. DE LACY.

'the Hight ofthe torpedo, as described.

to fold and besprnng ,8o

